Canción incluida en "Time's Up" (1990), el segundo álbum de la banda neoyorquina Living Colour. Fue el tercer single del disco y cuenta con dos invitados de lujo: Little Richard a la voz y Maceo Parker al saxofón. Incluso Mick Jagger pone su voz en la parte del "velatorio". El tema fue escrito por el guitarrista Vernon Reid y producido por Ed Stasium.
Una curiosidad: la canción incorpora samples de "Graceland" de Paul Simon, "Fight the Power" de Public Enemy y del célebre anuncio "Elvis Has Left the Building" de Horace Logan, la frase que se pronunciaba tras los conciertos de Elvis para dispersar al público. El videoclip arranca con la banda charlando sentados en un banco sobre supuestos avistamientos de Elvis, y a lo largo del vídeo aparece un imitador del Rey del Rock.
En cuanto a la letra, "Elvis Is Dead" es una crítica satírica a la mitificación y comercialización de Elvis Presley tras su muerte. Se burla de los rumores sensacionalistas sobre avistamientos del cantante (convertido casi en una figura fantasmal) y recuerda, con la repetición constante de "Elvis is dead", que la leyenda ya no está. La canción también toca un tema más incómodo: cómo Elvis aprendió gran parte de su estilo de músicos negros y fue coronado "Rey" mientras esa herencia quedaba invisibilizada, para acabar siendo "limpiado" y convertido en un producto de Las Vegas. En su parte rapeada, Little Richard reconoce el talento de Elvis como artista pero pide respeto: que le dejen descansar y deja de exprimir su nombre para hacer caja.
Video:
Vídeo: (actuación en directo en el show de Arsenio Hall, con Little Richard y Angelo Moore de Fishbone al saxo)
Letra:
Yo, Corey, man
Yeah, man. What's up?
I saw Elvis the other day
Get outta here, man!
Tabloids scream "Elvis seen at a shopping mall"
That's the kind of talk that makes my stomach crawl
Picture a zombie Elvis in a tacky white jump suit
Just imagine a rotting Elvis shopping for fresh fruit
He can't 'cause
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead, give it to me, Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead
When the King died he was all alone
I heard that when he died he was sittin' on his throne
Alas, poor Elvis, they made us know you well
Now you dwell forever in that heartbreak hotel
'Cause Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead, give it to me
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead, band!
Elvis Presley!
From rock!
Elvis is-
Elvis was a hero to most, but that's beside the point
A black man taught him how to sing
And then he was crowned King (what?)
The pelvis of Elvis, too dangerous for the masses
They cleaned him up and sent him to Vegas
And now the masses are his slave (slave?)
Yes, slave, even from the grave
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead
Elvis est mort
Presley was a good performer, on stage he was electrifying
When he was ill, his fans got sick and moaned when he had died
Elvis is dead
To all you pimps making money on his name
How do you sleep, don't you feel the shame?
He went through the test, he's out of this mess
Be my guest and let him rest
Elvis is dead
Elvis está muerto
Elvis has left the building!
Hit me, give it to me, give it to me
Listen up, hit it up
I've got a reason to believe we all won't be received at Graceland, yeah
I've got a reason to believe we all won't be received at Graceland
I've got a reason to believe we all won't be received at Graceland
I've got a reason to believe I won't be received at Graceland
No, not you, my brother, 'cause
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead, give it to me, Elvis is dead, give it to me
Elvis is dead, Elvis is dead
Elvis is dead, yeah, Elvis is dead
